Racist graffiti spurs disgust, protest at Eastern Michigan University

Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of the story below misidentified how King Hall is used. It houses the campus NPR radio station, the campus newspaper, and other offices and classrooms.

Students at Eastern Michigan University woke up Tuesday morning to a grim discovery: racist graffiti scrawled on a wall on campus.

Eastern Michigan President James Smith sent out a statement at 10:47 a.m. on Tuesday morning informing students about the graffiti found on King Hall.

The graffiti included “KKK” in red, white and blue in addition to an offensive phrase containing a racial epithet. It was quickly removed upon discovery.

“The University strongly condemns such a racist and thoughtless act, which runs completely counter to the values and welcoming environment of our highly diverse Eastern Michigan University community,” President Smith said in the statement, which was received by USA TODAY College.

The statement adds that the person or persons who defaced the wall have not yet been discovered, but security cameras may “help provide evidence pointing to who may have perpetrated this action.”

And then, during a sweep of campus facilities, another racial epithet was found in a stairwell of another building, President Smith told the school in an update message, which Geoff Larcom,
EMU’s executive director of media relations, forwarded to USA TODAY College.

According to Larcom, King Hall houses the campus NPR radio station, the campus newspaper, and other offices and classrooms. The second building, Wise Hall, is a residence hall, according to the Eastern Michigan University website.

Police are now investigating, according to the president’s update. The investigation involves reviewing security camera video and following up on several tips from individuals who claim ot have relevant knowledge. Separately, the university is taking actions that include increasing police presence, making an anonymous digital reporting tool available and planning a schoolwide forum.

The Black Student Union president put out a message to the EMU community as well. “Please refrain from living in fear,” the statement reads. “Combat injustice when you see it and feel free to reach out to other entities on campus when you are in distress.”

Michael Schramm is a student at University of Michigan and a USA TODAY College lead digital producer.